Vacuum cleaner



Dec. 15, 1936. F L TE T 2,064,587

VACUUM CLEANER Filed June 28, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l /6 I I -lNV T ORNEYDec. 15, 1936.

F. cARLsTEDT VACUUM CLEANER Filed June 28, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented l5, 1936 ta s I attain a'il'i CLEANER Fredrih @arlstedt,Stockholm, Sweden, asslgnorto Electrolux Corporation, Dover, Del. acorporation of Delaware Application tune as, 1934, Serial No. 32,911 InGenny July 8, 1933 *2 Claims. (er. 183-37) In my application, Serial No.710,421, filed on February 9, 1934, Patent No. 2,044,830, issued June23, 1936, there is disclosed and claimed a different conditions ofvacuum cleaner action.

For example, in cleaning heavy fabrics, such as rugs, a high vacuum isdesirable in order to draw air through the cloth or the like for thepurpose of removing embedded dirt, as well as for removing dirt adheringto the surface of the cloth. On the other hand, when cleaning a smoothsurface, such as a hardwood floor, a

high'vacuum is not necessary, but a large air quantity at lower pressuredifferential suffices and permits cleaning agiven area in a quickertime.

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner of this general typeand has for its o'b- -ject to provide an electrically driven vacuumcleaner, having at least one of the air impellers mounted on one end ofthe motor shaft and at least one other of the impellers mounted on theother end of the motor shaft. Further objects and advantages will beapparent from the following description considered in connection withthe accompanying draw-' ings, which form a part of the specification andof which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the invention;. 1

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on theline 2-2 of Fig. 1, or on line 2-2 of. Fig. 3; I

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2; Fig.4 is .a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3; Y g Fig. 5is a cross-sectional view, similar to Fig. 3, of a portion of the devicebut with the valve member in a different position; I

Fig. 6 is a. cross-sectional view taken on the line 6+6 of Fi 5;

- Fig. '1 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a valve member employed in theembodiment illustrated in Figs/1 through 7; and

Fig. 9 is a top view of the motor housing shown in Fig. 3, the partsabovethe housing having been removed.

Referring more particularly to-Figs. 1 through 3 reference character H5designates an air-tightcasing mounted on a pair. of wheels IIS and a .5

caster Ill. Casing II 5 comprises a horizontal,

preferably oval, portion H8 and a cylindrical portion H9 having asubstantially vertical axis. A nozzle I20 is secured to one end ofhorizontal portion III! by means of spring clips I2I. annular flange I22on a cylindrical mouthpiece I 23 is clamped between the. nozzle and theend of the casing. Secured to mouthpiece I23 is a dust-bag I 2i ofsuitable material, which is impervious with respect to dust, but allowsthe i5 passage therethrough of air. The shape of this bag is preferablythat shown in Fig. 3. If desiredya flap valve I25 may be provided in thenozzle 520 in order to prevent the escape through the nozzle, when thevacuum cleaner is idle, of 20 dirt previously collected within the bag.Flap valve E25 may be pivotally mounted byrmeans of a well known type ofhinge having a spring tending to hold the valve in closed position; andvalve I125 is held open during operation of the cleaner by the passageof air through the nozzle.

surface on which the cleaner is supported by means of the wheels H6 andthe caster III. A

handle I56, pivoted to the cleaner at I57, is pro: vided for moving thelatter over the surface to be cleaned.

Mounted within the vertical cylindrical portion II 9 of the casing is anelectric motor I21. 35 The motor includes a housing I28 and anarma- Iture shaft I29. The shaft I29 extends through both ends of the motorhousing and is provided at either end with fan impellers I30 and "I.Impeller I is surrounded by a fan housing I32 40 supported by the motorhousing andhaving an inlet opening I33 which is permanently incommunication with the interior of easing IIB. Motor housing I28 isprovided with openings I34 which establish communication between theinterior of the motor housing and the interior of fan housing I32.Openings I34 constitute outlet openings for the lower impeller.

The lower end of the motor and fan-housing I32 are'surrounded by a guardI35, which may 50 consist of perforated sheet metal or a reinforced wirescreen. The purpose of guard I35 is to prevent the dust bag I frombeingdrawn into the inlet opening I38.

Fan impeller I3I is arranged to be rotated 5 within a fan housingcomprising the upper part with.

- I23 is provided with apertures I31, which open into the spaces I38bounded by an extension wall I39 of the motor housing, a rotatable valvememberuI 40v and radially extending walls I preferably cast integralwith the motor housing. The shape of valve member I40 is shown in Fig.8. The valve member is rotatably mounted within the extension wall I39of the motor housing and is provided with an operating handle I42, whichextends through a slot in the casing.

Adjacent to its periphery the valve member I40 is provided with a numberof openings I43 whichcorrespond in number to the number of spaces I38.In the embodiment illustrated there are three'spaces I38 and threeopenings I43. Alternating with the spaces I33 are spaces I44 which areincommunication with the interior of the casing I I9 by virtue of openingsI45. The center of valve member I40 is provided with an opening I40which constitutes the inlet opening for the upper fan impeller. Valvemember I40 is provided around opening I46 with sections I41 01 acircular wall. The number of sections I4I is equal to the number oispaces I38 or I44, which, as previously pointed out, in the presentembodiment is three. The lower ends of sections I" contact a circularshoulder I48 formed on the motor housing. Arcuate webs I58 are formedbetween. radial walls I over spaces I44. These webs are of greaterextent than openings I43 in valve member I40, so as to close theopenings when the latter are turned into alignment there- The upper endof the cylindrical portion II9 of the casing is formed as a perforatedplate I49. A filter I of cloth or other suitable material impregnated,if desired, with a disinfectant or deodorant, is held in place on theupper side of plate I49 by meanso'i a cap I5I, which may be adapted tofrictionally engage the upper end of casing I I9. A perforated plate I52is fixed within cap I5I seats to hold the filter I50 in place, and

' to prevent the filter from being blown up against I to reduce theresistance to airflow when the device is being used as. a suction,cleaner, while making it possible to exhaust all the air through thehose or the like attached to opening I 53 when it is desired .to use thecleaner as a blower.

With valve member I40 in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the fanimpellers I30 and I3I are connected for parallel flow of air. Rotationof impeller I30 causes air to be drawn in through nozzle I20, thrcTughthe dust bag and through inlet opening I33 in the fan housing I32. Fromhere the air is ejected through openings I34 into the motor housing,where itserves to cool the motor. From the motor housing the air passesthrough openings I31 into the spacesl33. With the valve member I40 inthe position shown, the openings I43 at the periphery thereof are inalignment with the spaces I33, and consequently the air passes intothe'housing o! impeller I3I at the outer periphery thereof, which is,ineffect, the outlet of this impeller. The rotation of impeller I3I drawsair from the interior of easing II5 through the openings I45 into thespace I44. With the valve member I40 in the position assumed, thevertical sections I41 are in alignment with the spaces I38, as clearlyappears from Fig. i

4, and hence there is communication between spaces I44 and the centeropening I46 in the valve member. Hence the air is drawn through spaceI44 into the inlet of impeller I3I and is discharged by the impellerinto the outer periphery of the housing, where it joins the airdischarged from impeller I30. The air from both of the impellers thencepasses through perforated plate I49, filter I50, perforated plate I52and through opening I53 and also openings I54, if these latter openingsare open.

In the event that it is desired .to operate the fan impellers in series,handle I42 is moved to the other end of the slot whereby valve memberI40 is turned to the positionshown in Figs. 5 and 6. Impeller. I30supplies air to spaces I38 in the same mariner as previously described.

However, openings I43 in valve member I40 are no longer in alignmentwith spaces, I30, and the vertical walls I41 have also been moved out ofalignment with these spaces, so that the air is free to flow through thecentral opening I46 into the valve member, as is clearly shown in Fig.5.

This air is acted upon by impeller "IV and is dischar'gedirom thecleaner in the same manner as previously described. With thevalve memberI40 in'this position, vertical walls I41 are in alignment with thespaces I44, and hence prevent the upper impeller I3I from drawing airdirectly from the interior of the casing through openings I45. OpeningsI43 in valve member I40 are closed due to the fact that they are inalignment with webs I50, thus assuring against recirculation of airdischarged from impeller-HI back into the interior of the casing.

It will be seen that, for either positionof the valve member, at leastone of the impellers circulates air through the motor housing. With theimpellers connected in series, both oi them aid in this circulation. Thelower impeller I30 discharges air into one end oi the motor housing.while theupper impeller I3I withdraws air from the other end of thehousing.

While a more or less specific embodiment oi. the invention hasbeen'disclosed, it will be obvious that other embodiments of theinvention may be made. For example, more than two tan impellers. may beprovided and connected in series or in parallel. The greater the numberof pellers the greater the difference in efl'ect betw series andparallel connection. The scope ofthe present invention is to be limitedonly by the appended claims viewed in art. r

What I claim is:

the light of the prior 1. A vacuum cleaner including a motor having ahousing, a fan impeller mounted at each end oi. said motor to be driventhereby, and means for alternatively. connecting said impellers forseries or parallel flow of airtherethrough, one of said impellers beingarranged to circulate air through'said housing during both series anparallel flow.

2. A vacuum cleaner including a motor having with said opening 01' airtherethrough, one arranged to circulate air a housing, a fan impellermounted at each end of said motor to be driven thereby, the interior ofsaid housing forming a discharge passageway for one of said impellers,said housing being formed with an opening adjacent to'the otherimpeller, and movablevalve means associated for alternativelyestablishing communication between said opening and the inlet of saidother impeller or the outlet of said other impeller.

4. A vacuum cleaner including a casing, a dust bag in said casing, aplurality of impeller fans in said casing including fan housings havinginlets and outlets, the inlet of one of said housings being permanentlyin communication with the interior of said casing, means providing apassageway permanently in communication with the outlet of said one ofsaid housings, a motor for driving said impellers located in saidpassageway, and movable valve means for establishing communicationbetween said passageway and the inlet of the other of said housings andalternatively for establishing communication between said passageway andthe outlet of said other housing and between the interior of said casingand inlet of said other housing.

5. A vacuum cleaner includinga casing, a dust bag in said casing, aplurality of impeller fans in said casing including fan housings havinginlets and outlets, the inlet of one of said housings during parallelflow andbeing permanently in communication with the interior of saidcasing, a filter member, the outlet of the other of said housings beingarranged in permanent communication with said filter member, means.providing a passageway permanently in communication with the outlet ofsaid one of said housings, a motor for driving said impellers located insaid passageway, and movable valve means for establishing communicationbetween said passageway and the inlet of the other of said housings andalternatively for establishing communication between said passageway andthe outlet of said other housing and between the casing and the inlet ofsaid other housing.

6. A vacuum cleaner including a casing, a motor having a housing mountedwithin said casing, a fan impeller mounted at each end of said motor tobe driven thereby, and means for alternatively connecting said impellersfor series or parallelflow therethrough, one of said impellers beingarranged to circulate air through said housing during parallel flow, theother of said impellers being arranged to circulate air between saidcasing and said housing during parallel flow and both of said impellersbeing arranged to circulate air through said housing during series.flow.

'7. A vacuum cleaner including a motor having a shaft, 2. fan impellermounted at each end of said shaft to be driven thereby, and valve meansfor selectively connecting said impellers for series or parallel flow ofair therethrough, said valve means being disposed between said motor andone of said impellers and formed with an opening through which saidshaft extends.

a FREDRIK CARL-STEDT.

